From Monday 15 February 2021 until early 2022, Orion is installing a new 66kV underground power cable between Blakes Road and Prestons Road.
This new cable will connect the local supply to a new substation we’re building in Blakes Road. The work will increase the capacity and resilience of the local electricity network to serve the future needs of these growing areas.
The cable will be installed along the north side of Prestons Road, the east side of Marshland Road, the Kaiapoi side of Belfast Road, and the motorway side of Blakes Road.
Orion has appointed Isaac Civil Construction to carry out this work. Multiple teams from Issacs will work in several areas at once along the entire cable route. See the map, above, for estimated dates of when we’ll work in each area.
We’ll work in sections, digging a trench between cable joint bays, installing reinforced concrete at the bottom of the trench then installing the new cable. We’ll then pour thermal concrete to encase and protect the cable, and fill in and asphalt over the trench.
When we start work on Monday, we'll start in two areas:
Because we lay the cable in sections, we’ll work outside your property trenching and installing the cable for seven to ten weeks per section.
Belfast Road will be one-way westbound (from Marshland Road to the motorway) from Monday 15 February 2021 until June 2021.
Prestons Road will be one-way westbound (from Te Korari Street to Marshland Road) from Sunday 7 March 2021 until June 2021. We will deliver more information about the one-way system before work starts in this area. More information available here.
During the day, access to properties on the side of the road where we are working will be temporarily restricted while we trench past. We will place metal sheets over the trench, so you can access your property. The Isaac team will keep in contact with you so you can move your vehicles if needed.
There will be no street parking available on the side of the road where we are working.
Please put your bins out as usual before 6 am on your collection day. The Issac team will move and return them if needed.
There will be no disruption to your power supply throughout this work.
If you'd like to sign up to receive it regularly, please do so here.
We'll also deliver more information and regular updates about the cable installation to letterboxes along the cable installation route.
If you have any comments or questions, please contact our Customer Support team on 0800 363 9898, day or night.
